


Today's Menu for the Velvet Family

by GalahadThePure



Category: Fate/Zero, ロード・エルメロイⅡ世の事件簿 - 三田誠 | Lord El-Melloi II Case Files - Sanda Makoto, 衛宮さんちの今日のごはん | Emiya-san Chi no Kyou no Gohan | Today's Menu for the Emiya Family (Anime)
Genre: Birthday Fluff, Cooking, F/M, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-23
Updated: 2019-07-23
Packaged: 2020-07-11 21:08:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,443
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19934524
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GalahadThePure/pseuds/GalahadThePure
Summary: For Iskandar's birthday, Waver wants to cook him a homemade meal. The only problem is, he can't cook. Fortunately for him one of his students can, and he's more than willing to help Waver prepare an unforgettable meal for his lover.





	Today's Menu for the Velvet Family

**Author's Note:**

> I know I'm two days late, but I still wanted to post this. Happy belated birthday Iskandar!

Lord El Melloi II laid his piece of chalk down as the clock struck noon. He dusted off his hands and turned to the crowd of students filling his lecture hall.

“That will be all for today’s lecture,” he said, “Make sure to do the reading for our discussion on Monday.”

Bags rustled and chairs shifted as students left the hall, some heading to lunch, others to their next class, and others to their dorms, ready to start the weekend. As his pupils left, Lord El Melloi II kept his eyes peeled for one particular student. Amidst the flood of young adults, he spotted his target, the shaggy mop of red hair standing out from the sea of blondes and brunettes.

“Shirou Emiya,” he shouted, trying to get the boy’s attention.

The red haired boy looked over to his professor, swallowing hard in fear. He didn’t think that he did anything wrong, but Lord El Melloi II was infamously strict. Shirou sighed as he waded through the crowd, making his way to the professor.

“What is it, sir?” he asked nervously, “Am I in trouble.”

“Quite the opposite actually,” Lord El Melloi II replied, “Would you be interested in assisting me for a day? I will pay you in money or extra credit, whichever you prefer.”

Shirou was baffled. He never thought his professor would offer him this opportunity so willingly, especially since he already had an assistant.

“I’m flattered by your offer professor,” Shirou grinned, “But would it upset Gray if I did take you up on it?”

“Not in the slightest. As a matter of fact, she was the one who suggested that you would be perfect for the task at hand,” he informed.

“If you don’t mind me asking, what is it that you want me to assist you with?”

Lord El Melloi II looked around, ensuring that the rest of the students had left the lecture hall. He embarrassedly rubbed the back of his neck.

“Well,” he started, “The word around the Clocktower is that you’re an excellent chef. This Saturday is a very important day for my partner and I wanted to make a special dinner for them and Gray. Unfortunately, I’m not exactly a good cook… I’ve burnt water before…”

“So you wanted to ask me to help you make dinner?” Shirou reiterated, “Professor, you don’t even need to give me money or extra credit for it. I’d be happy to help!”

“Thank goodness,” Lord El Melloi II sighed, “You’re free to bring along Tohsaka as well. I heard that she often serves as your sous-chef.”

“Sounds good to me. Where would you like us to meet you on Saturday professor? And what time?”

Lord El Melloi II took out a piece of paper and wrote down his address before folding it up and handing it to Shirou.

“We can meet at my flat,” he instructed, “I don’t know the exact ingredients I’ll need for dinner, but we can go to the supermarket when you arrive. If you arrive at 11 AM I’ll treat you and Tohsaka to lunch.”

Shirou’s mouth watered. Since his father’s passing, he had to budget himself very carefully, especially now that he was living abroad. The offer of a free meal was more than enough to motivate him to help. He reached out his hand to shake the Professor’s.

“Sounds like a plan,” he grinned, “I’ll see you on Saturday, professor.”

Shirou bowed his head politely, turning on his heels and leaving the lecture hall. Lord El Melloi II sighed as he sat down at his desk, fearful that even with his student’s help, his horrible cooking would ruin the meal.

“I hope he’s as good as you say he is, Gray,” he said to himself.

***

The tube lurched to a sudden halt as it reached the suburbs of London. Shirou grabbed Rin’s hand, pulling her off of the bustling train as soon as they reached their stop.

“They really need to do something about the cleanliness of their trains,” Rin hissed, “Japan’s trains may be crowded, but at least the stations don’t feel like literal sewers.”

“Well we made it here safely at least,” Shirou said, trying to calm his girlfriend down, “Professor’s apartment is only a few blocks away from the station.”

“Let’s just get out of here already,” Rin snapped, “It smells horrible in here.”

Shirou extended his hand to Rin to guide her out of the tube station. They scanned their tickets, pushing through the metal turnstiles and back into the light of the suburbs. A low fog hung on the streets, a seemingly common occurrence in London. Shirou looked up at the street signs, following them until they reached the entrance to their professor’s flat. Shirou opened the door, allowing Rin to walk into the antiquated building. They walked up to the elevator, pressing the button to call it. It dinged as it arrived, the large metal doors opening to its wallpaper lined interior. The pair climbed inside and pressed the button numbered with their Professor’s floor. It ascended relatively smoothly for an old apartment complex’s elevator, arriving at their selected floor within seconds. As they made their way down the hallway, Shirou glanced at the paper the professor had given him, checking the room numbers. They eventually stopped in front of a door near the end of the hall, marked with the very same number jotted down on the paper. Shirou raised his fist to the wooden door, knocking on it three times.

“Professor, we’re here,” he said.

The door swung open, revealing their professor, Lord El Melloi II. Instead of his usual fitted suit and scarf, he wore far more casual, comfortable clothing. A long sleeved black shirt clung to the slender frame of his torso, exposing his prominent collarbone and his hair was tied back in a low ponytail. His typical formal slacks were replaced with a more worn, comfortable pair, sun-faded from frequent wear. It felt strange seeing Lord El Melloi II’s street clothes style, but when it came to cooking, these clothes would be far more appropriate than a suit.

“You’re right on time,” he smiled, “Shall we get some lunch?”

“That sounds great professor!” Shirou replied, “Where are we going?”

“There’s a café on Druid Street that makes delicious sandwiches. Is that fine?”

“I’m fine with sandwiches. Do we need to take the train?”

Rin winced. She would rather die than go back to the tube station.

“No it’s walking distance,” Lord El Melloi II informed, “Unfortunately the market is not as close, but we can take my car.”

“Thank goodness,” Rin sighed.

Lord El Melloi II stepped out of the doorway, locking it behind him before leading his two students down the hallway. He called the elevator, the group stepping inside to descend back to the lobby. They headed out of the main lobby of the flat complex, making their way down the narrow streets until they reached a quaint teashop. Waver showed the two inside, a bell on the door ringing to indicate a customer’s arrival at the shop. The hostess beamed at the trio from behind the counter, her blonde, bobbed hair bouncing as she cocked her head.

“Welcome back, Waver,” she smiled, “No Gray or Iskandar today?”

“No, just a table for three today?” he replied.

“You can sit anywhere you want. I’ll be right out with water and menus.”

Rin immediately rushed to the nearest booth, claiming the comfortable cushion of the lined booth seats. Shirou slid in next to her, Lord El Melloi II taking one of the chairs across from them. The hostess arrived at their table, setting down three glasses of water and menus.

“Would you care for anything else to drink?” she asked.

“I’ll take a lavendar earl grey,” Lord El Melloi II replied.

Shirou and Rin glanced down at the drink menu, scanning through the list of teas and coffees.

“I’ll have a matcha latte,” Rin ordered.

“Just a regular green tea for me,” Shirou said.

“Coming right up,” the hostess nodded.

As the hostess retreated behind the counter to prepare the drinks, Shirou and Rin carefully examined the menu items. It was a standard café menu. Plenty of delicious sounding breakfast items, quiches, salads, soups, and sandwiches were listed and described. Lord El Melloi II didn’t even need to look at the menu. It seemed he had been there enough times that he had a usual order. The hostess soon returned, bearing a tray with three porcelain teacups. She set the cups down in front of the customers, warm, fragrant steam rising from the hot liquids. While Lord El Melloi II’s and Shirou’s drinks looked rather simple, a cute bear was drawn on top of the foam of Rin’s latte with matcha powder. She couldn’t help but blush at the drink’s adorable charm.

“Do you need a few more minutes?” the hostess asked.

“No, we’re ready to order,” Waver responded, “I’ll take my usual, a croque monsieur.”

“And for you two?” the hostess said.

“Can I get a salmon quiche?” Shirou ordered.

“And I’ll have the Thai chicken salad,” Rin added.

The hostess collected the menus and grinned, “I’ll get your orders in right away.”

As she walked away, Lord El Melloi II took a sip of his tea. It was fragrant and delicious, warming him as he drank it.

“While we wait for lunch,” Shirou started, “What kind of food did you want to make for your partner tonight? What are you celebrating?”

“Their birthday,” Lord El Melloi II replied, “My partner is Macedonian, so I wanted to make Greek food if possible. That isn’t too difficult, is it?”

“Not at all. We could do skewers with lamb and chicken, fried potatoes, hummus and pita, tabbouleh, maybe even baklhava if you wanted a dessert.”

“I already got a cake this morning for dessert, and those dishes do sound delicious, but how hard are they to make?”

“We can buy the hummus and pita bread pre-made, tabbouleh is mostly knife work, and if we use ground lamb, the skewers should be easy to make and relatively cheap.”

“I owe you one, Emiya.”

Shirou wrapped his hands around his porcelain teacup, warming his hands against it. He noticed Rin had already drank half of her matcha latte, as the cute design of the bear had faded into the rest of the drink. A light green drink moustache crawled across her upper lip, making Shirou chuckle.

“Is their matcha that good here Rin?” he snickered, pointing to his upper lip to let her know about her moustache.

Rin blushed, dabbing her lip with her napkin to clean it, “It’s ok I guess.”

Lord El Melloi II turned his head, hearing the hostess coming their way with a platter filled with their food. She set the plates down carefully before grinning and telling the group to enjoy their food. As soon as he got his meal, Lord El Melloi II picked up his sandwich, biting into the crunchy baguette of the croquet monsieur. The creamy béchamel sauce brought out the richness of the ham and cheese within, elevating a simple sandwich to something exquisite.

“Delicious as always,” he smirked, taking a sip from his tea.

With Rin now digging into her salad and his professor eating his lunch, Shirou figured he should try the quiche he ordered. The crust was perfectly golden brown and flecks of herbs, salmon, and green onions were smattered throughout the fluffy egg filling. He sliced off a piece with his fork, lifting it to his mouth and taking a bite. It was light and buttery, the salmon within adding a savory element while the herbs brought freshness. He couldn’t help himself from diving into another bite. Shirou would have to come back to this café sometime. Their food was excellent.

“Are you enjoying your lunch?” Lord El Melloi II wondered.

“It’s delicious,” Shirou replied, “Do you eat here often?”

“I am quite the regular yes. It’s a perfect place to write and grade papers, plus Gray and my partner enjoy it too.”

“Speaking of which,” Rin interjected, “Where is Gray? I didn’t see her back at your apartment.”

“I put her in charge of distraction,” Lord El Melloi II informed, “I wanted to keep tonight’s dinner a surprise gift, so she and my partner are out running errands and exploring London.”

“When will they be home by?” Shirou asked.

“They should be back around 18:00,” Lord El Melloi II said, “Does that give us enough time or should I tell her to come later?”

“That should be plenty of time,” Shirou smiled, “Thank you again for lunch, professor.”

“No, thank you for your help,” Lord El Melloi II responded.

***

Waver unlocked the door to his flat, carrying in the grocery bags and showing Rin and Shirou inside. The interior of the room was relatively simplistic, save for the bookcases and large painting of Alexander the Great of Macedon that hung in the living room. Several video game consoles sat under the television and controllers were sprawled across his leather couch.

“Make yourselves at home,” Lord El Melloi II said, setting down his bags on the kitchen counter.

Shirou rolled up his sleeves and helped his professor unload the groceries as Rin tied up her hair and washed her hands, getting ready to help Shirou prep.

“Do you want me to start cutting up the onions and tomatoes for the tabbouleh?” she asked.

“Sure,” Shirou responded, passing her a tomato, “Professor, where do you keep your knives?”

“In the top drawer to the left of the stove,” he informed, “The cutting boards in the drawer just below it.”

“Ok, thanks,” Rin said, getting out a sharp knife and a cutting board.

She ran the tomato under some cold running water, rinsing it clean before placing it gently on the cutting board. Carefully, she began dicing the tomato into small cubes, making sure not to cut herself on accident.

“While Rin preps the tabbouleh, do you want to start marinating the chicken and lamb?” Shirou asked.

“I might need a bit of your instructions for that,” Lord El Melloi II informed, “While I’m not too keen of heavy seasoning, my partner loves a lot of spices in their food.”

“I think I can help you come up with a marinade that fits both of your tastes. Can you grab some plastic bag?”

Lord El Melloi II reached into one of his drawers, pulling out a box of plastic bags. Meanwhile, Shirou handed off an onion to Rin in exchange for a knife for himself.

“We’ll start with the chicken,” Shirou explained, pulling out the chicken breast filets from the bag of groceries.

Shirou brought the chicken to the cutting board, dicing it into small chunks before tossing them into a plastic bag. He placed the knife into the kitchen sink before grabbing another from the drawer.

“Professor, can you pass me the oranges?” Shirou asked.

“Of course,” he replied, passing him the fresh oranges from the groceries, “If you don’t mind me asking, why are you using a different knife for the orange? The chicken is going to be marinating in its juices anyway isn’t it?”

“Raw chicken is pretty dangerous. I don’t want to risk cross contaminating the rest of the food with its bacteria.”

“I feel like I should be calling you Professor. You’re so knowledgeable about cooking, I bet you’d even give Ramsay a run for his money. Where did you learn all of this?”

“Self taught. Since my dad often worked abroad, I had to learn to cook for myself. I would always get so happy on the rare chances he could taste my food.”

Shirou sliced the oranges in half, handing the pieces to his professor to squeeze their juices into the bag with the chicken. He firmly squeezed the citrus fruit, its juices and pulp spilling into the plastic bag and coating the chicken.

“Shit, I think I got a seed in there,” Lord El Melloi II cursed.

“That’s fine. Its just the marinade,” Shirou replied, “It looks like you’ve got enough orange juice in the bag. Can you add some Greek yoghurt next?”

“How much do I need?”

“About three quarters of a cup. Then you can add the tomato paste and vegetable oil. You’ll need only a few tablespoons of those. Rin and I are almost done mincing the garlic for it.”

Lord El Melloi II pulled out a measuring cup and spoons from his cabinet, painstakingly measuring out the yoghurt, oil, and tomato paste before scraping them into the bag. He handed Shirou back the back, the liquids now starting to mix into a homogeneous, pastel orange sauce. Shirou took the bag from him, throwing in some cardamom, cinnamon, allspice, oregano, salt, pepper, and the minced fresh garlic. He sealed up the bag and shook it vigorously, coating the chunks of chicken with the marinade and spices.

“Ok,” Shirou sighed, “Now that that’s done, we can put this in the refrigerator to marinate.”

“Will we need to do the same for the lamb?” Lord El Melloi II asked.

“That would be best to season right before cooking. The seasoning on that will be more reliant on dry spices and since it’s ground lamb, it absorbs flavor far quicker.”

Lord El Melloi II felt like he was learning from a seasoned chef. He never would have expected someone with such talents for the culinary arts to be studying Magecraft at the Clocktower. He had half a mind to tell him to leave the dangerous world of magic behind to become a chef instead, but if Shirou was anything like he was when he was younger, that would only embolden his desires to become a mage.

“Professor,” Shirou said, “Do you want to help me prep the potatoes?”

“Of course,” he replied, “You’re in charge.”

***

“That Tower of London sure was a sight to behold,” Iskandar beamed, “I only wish I could have plundered some of the jewelry and crowns. That sapphire diadem would have been beautiful on Waver.”

“They would arrest you for that, Mr. Iskandar,” Gray chuckled, “Professor never took you to tour the Tower of London before?”

“He took me to several cathedrals, museums, and the London Eye, but he always avoided bringing me there.”

“Well I’m certain he’ll be glad you didn’t take anything. Shall we go back to his flat?”

“Let’s.”

Iskandar grabbed Gray’s dainty hand, pulling her through the streets of London to the Tube station. Even though Gray was a native to England, when Iskandar was with her, it would make her already mysterious appearance seem even stranger. A Macedonian man standing at nearly seven feet in height and a petite girl with grey hair and a dark hood stood out from the crowd of Londonners like a sore thumb. Iskandar crouched into the cramped train, grabbing a seat for the small girl. The train lurched forward as it began its commute from the heart of London to the suburbs. Iskandar hung tight to the pole by Gray’s seat, his red hair scraping against the ceiling of the train car. As soon as the car stopped at the station nearest the flat, Iskandar rushed Gray out of the car, ensuring she didn’t get stuck on the train behind him. Since the elevator that the complex always felt a bit cramped for Iskandar, he chose to take the stairs, climbing with Gray until they reached their floor. Gray smiled as they came closer to the door. She hoped that Iskandar would enjoy her mentor’s surprise for him. Once they reached the flat, Iskandar pulled out his keys to unlock the door. As the door slowly opened, Iskandar was greeted by a scent that reminded him of home. Delicious warm spices, olive oil, mint, lamb, yoghurt… it smelled like Greek Cuisine.

“Iskandar!” Lord El Melloi II beamed, greeting him with a kiss as soon as he entered the room, “Happy Birthday, my King.”

“You cooked Greek food for me?” Iskandar wondered.

“I couldn’t have done it without my students’ help. I believe you’ve met Miss Tohsaka, but I don’t think you’ve met Shirou.”

Waver signaled for Shirou to come over to meet the man they cooked a feast for. Shirou had no idea that his professor’s partner was a man, let along such a large, muscular one, but it appeared that he made Lord El Melloi II happy.

“Shirou, this is my boyfriend, Iskandar,” he introduced, “Iskandar, this is Shirou Emiya. If it weren’t for him, I probably would have burnt the flat down.”

“Pleased to meet you sir,” Shirou greeted politely.

“The pleasure is all mine,” Iskandar replied happily, “I’m amazed at your culinary prowess. I almost thought Waver’s cooking was a lost cause.”

“Hey!” Waver snapped, “I’d like to see you do better. You over-season everything.”

“Regardless, even if the dinner was burnt beyond recognition, I’d still appreciate it,” Iskandar chuckled, “Thank you, Waver. Now, let us feast like Kings!”

“We’ll be off then,” Shirou said.

“Nonsense,” Iskandar chuckled, “You helped him prepare the meal, so you should enjoy it as well.”

“Is that ok with you, Professor?” Shirou asked.

“If Iskandar says it’s fine then it’s fine by me,” Waver smiled, “Gray, will you help me set the table?”

“Of course, sir,” Gray answered.

While Gray and Lord El Melloi II set up the table for dinner, Rin and Shirou carried the plates of food over. The meal smelled delicious, fresh, fragrant, everything wonderful about Greek food. Iskandar’s mouth watered at the sight of the kebabs, the tabbouleh, the hummus, the potatoes. Waver grabbed a bottle of red wine from his refrigerator, pouring a glass for himself and Iskandar while Gray got water for herself, Shirou, and Rin. Waver sat down next to Iskandar at the table, Gray, Shirou, and Rin taking the other open seats. Waver gripped Iskandar’s hand, leaning into his shoulder happily. Having dinner with him, with Gray, with his students like this made him feel like he had a family again. He wished that dinner every night could be like this.

“Now, let’s eat,” Iskandar beamed.

Iskandar grabbed a bit of each delicacy that Waver, Shirou, and Rin had so painstakingly prepared for him. The plate popped with fresh colors: green from the mint and basil of the tabbouleh, orange from the marinade of the chicken, red from the smoked paprika garnishing the hummus. He was eager to dig into the appetizing meal. Iskandar lifted the chicken kebob to his mouth, biting off a piece and chewing it with relish. His face lit up, savoring the bright, fresh flavor of the chicken.

“Well, what do you think?” Waver wondered.

“It’s delicious,” Iskandar smiled, “The marinade on this chicken is amazing. Usually Tawook kebabs use lemon, but I love the orange.”

“I’m glad,” Waver blushed, taking a bite of the lamb kafta skewer.

The lamb was rich and refreshing, the bits of fresh mint mixed into the seasoned meat taming the spices. Gray dug into the fresh tabbouleh, chewing happily on the herb-seasoned salad. The entire meal was delicious. Shirou smiled, happy to bring joy to his professor and his loved ones.

“Shirou,” Iskandar cheered, “We’ll have to invite you over more often. If you can help Waver cook like this, our door is always open!”

Waver kissed Iskandar on the cheek before clearing off their now empty plates and moving them to the sink.

“Do you need me to help with dishes, Professor?” Shirou offered.

“Iskandar and I can do them later,” Waver replied, “You and Miss Tohsaka are our guests. Now, how about we have some cake!”

Iskandar smiled brightly as Waver pulled out a layered spice cake from the refrigerator. He stuck bright red candles into the white frosting of the cake, lighting them one by one. In the center of the cake was yellow writing icing that read: “Happy Birthday Iskandar.”

“Happy Birthday to you,” Waver sang.

“Happy Birthday to you,” Gray joined in.

“Happy Birthday dear Iskandar,” everyone sang, “Happy Birthday to you!”

Iskandar blew out the candles of the cake, eliciting applause from his guests. He had far grander celebrations of his birthday during his original life, but this small, intimate gathering of friends and loved ones felt far more special. Being with Waver, with Gray, it felt like this was where he belonged.

“You get the first slice, Iskandar,” Waver said, cutting off a large piece, “Would you like to eat it here at the table on the couch?”

“The couch sounds good,” Iskandar replied, “Maybe we could play some Smash Bros with our guests after we eat our cake.”

Waver turned to Shirou as he cut another slice off, “Do you like video games?”

“I’m not great at them, but I’d be down to play if it’s a party game!” Shirou answered eagerly.

“Any game can be a party game if shared with good company,” Iskandar said, “Much like how even the humblest meal can feel like a feast when you eat with those you love.”

“You say that as if you intend to go easy on him,” Waver sighed, “As if your Ike isn’t lethal…”

“Why would I hold back? Besides, I must see if Gray has improved on Kirby,” Iskandar chuckled.

“I… I think I’ve gotten a bit better,” Gray confessed, “I’ve been practicing against Flat, but I don’t know if I’m a match for Professor…”

Waver ruffled her hair through the fabric of her hood.

“Don’t worry Gray, we can be on a team,” Waver comforted, “That way we can crush Iskandar together.”

“Those are bold words for someone soon to be in spiking distance,” Iskandar taunted.

“Oh you’re on!” Waver sneered.

He set down the cake knife and rushed to the couch, immediately starting up Smash to create the team battle. Rin chuckled from the dinner table, picking at her slice of spice cake.

“It looks like Professor’s partner certainly enjoyed his birthday dinner,” Shirou said.

“I certainly hope so with all the work we put in,” Rin grumbled, “But I guess it is nice to see Professor looking so happy.”

“Shirou!” Iskandar exclaimed, “Come join me! Together we shall take the great Lord El Melloi II down!”

“Go on,” Rin smiled, “Have fun. Professor is treating us like guests. We might as well enjoy ourselves.”

Shirou hurried over to the couch, picking up the fourth controller and choosing a character. Iskandar pulled Waver in closer on the couch. His birthday was a small and simple one, but Iskandar couldn’t be happier with the people he spent it with.


End file.
